Newbie needs a little advice on 55 gallon fish only tank

[cj11]

I set up tank about 2 weeks ago and used a product called PRIME in my tank. I have a power filter, protein skimmer, uv sterilizer going. i have 40lbs of crushed coral as substrate, some fake coral decorations in the tank and just added about 2.5lbs of live rock to tank about 5 days ago. What fish could I add safely and how many at this point? Nitrite level was between the .25-.50 on the card of my test kit. Would like to add a couple clownfish or damsels or even chromis, just wondering what everyone's recommendation is?

 

[vdtank]

Your Nitrite level should be at 0 especially when you don’t have anything living there. Your tank is probably still going thru a cycle. I actually waited about 4 week with my live rock and live sand before I put anything in my tank and now everything is good. I stared off with a couple snails, crab’s and shrimp. Check your level and then you can try a couple of clown fish. That's how i got started with my current first SW tank (FO)

 

[mjtech12]

ok welcome to the site and the hobby
it seems like a good start but we need to know what exactly is your filtration, skimmer and UV if its a fish only you wont need the skimmer just yet, crushed coral will limit the type of fish you put in the tank I would have gone with live sand crushed coral can harm certain fish like gobies and sharks that are bottom feeders it can tear their bellies but its a good start what exactly are the readings from the tank because it definitely isn't cycled yet you can throw in some damsels they are very hardy and can last the cycle and most LFS will take them back afterwards 4-5 damsels will do, live rock is definitely good it helps with filtration and bacteria setup , I would add some bacteria to the tank to seed the live rock some more you only have a small amount and it would help to cycle ask a lot of questions no question is dumb just ask good luck Bro

 

[cj11]

I have a Top Fin 75 that came with my tank, Sea Clone Skimmer, rated up to 100 gallons, and in tank UV sterilizer rated up to 80 gallons. Put in a cap full of PRIME at set up. Would like just to end up some with colorful fish at some point. Would love to have a dwarf lion someday but just looking to get my feet wet for now. I have a friend who is helping me out some but just want to get more than one persons advice on things. Also wondering what kind of test I should monitor on tank, friend says just salinty(spelling) and nitrite are the most important, guy at fish store says ph and nitrate.

 

[jay0705]

Ammonia kills most fish. It spikes first and is usually the cause of most fish deaths. I would wait a bit longer to add fish. Maybe get some more live rock. Once ur tank fully cycles clowns are a good starter fish,however they'd have to b full grown and big for even a dwarf lion to not eat them. Mine never bothered my damsels but they were big

 

[mjtech12]

Get your self a good test kit most newbies go with the API cause its readily available and its easy to use test strips are good enough for starters to monitor the cycle once you get a feel for the tank and the hobby you can purchase more accurate kits like Seachem and get yourself a refractometer that's more accurate for salinity you can go absolutely crazy buying stuff start out slow and easy so you get to enjoy the hobby or in my case the Obsession as far as fish like I said you can throw in a few damsels you don't have to wait like I said after the cycle return them to the fish store
As far as your filtration you might want to purchase a Canister filter and later on go for a Wet Dry Or Refrugium that filter you have wont hold the bioload for long

 

[geridoc]

Quote:
Originally Posted by MJTech12 http:///t/395526/newbie-needs-a-little-advice-on-55-gallon-fish-only-tank#post_3521560
Get your self a good test kit most newbies go with the API cause its readily available and its easy to use test strips are good enough for starters to monitor the cycle once you get a feel for the tank and the hobby you can purchase more accurate kits like Seachem and get yourself a refractometer that's more accurate for salinity you can go absolutely crazy buying stuff start out slow and easy so you get to enjoy the hobby or in my case the Obsession as far as fish like I said you can throw in a few damsels you don't have to wait like I said after the cycle return them to the fish store (Good luck catching damsels! I hate them, but even I wouldn't sentence a fish to torture in a high ammonia/nitrite environment. Don't rush the tank - nothing good happens quickly in this hobby. Let the tank cycle and while it does research the fish you want to add to determine whether they are a good mix, and if so, in what order they should be added. Clownfish can become very territorial, so they should ideally be one of the last fish added to a community tank IMHO. A small school of an odd number of chromis can be a great way to start a community. They tend to be peaceful, and their shoaling behavior is interesting and beautiful to watch.
As far as your filtration you might want to purchase a Canister filter and later on go for a Wet Dry Or Refrugium that filter you have wont hold the bioload for long (Cannister filters are sort of OK if you are really religious about cleaning them. That means nobody cleans them regularly enough, so they become sources of ammonia and nitrates. You mentioned a power filter - what kind?

 

[cj11]

It is a Top Fin 75, it came with the tank I bought at PetSmart as a starter kit, was thinking about buying an Emperor 400 or a canister after a while, a friend thats helping me has an Emperor he swears by it.

 

[mjtech12]

Yeah Geridoc isn't a fan of using damsels they are Nasty when they get big he likes the fishless cycle that's good too to do its what you prefer, I myself used damsels then returned them I also run 2 canisters 1 fluval FX5 and 1 Rated for my 125 gallon tank and I can say without a doubt I have had no problems with filtration and Cleaning Them, Yes it takes time to clean them and you only rinse the inside filters one at a time so not to disturb the biological that growing in them, Like I said Preference everyone has their own, NOW I know wet drys are better but I have found over the years that Wet Drys give off a lot of Odor's and noises in the house I know this because my wife wanted to kill me so I use canisters again preference, Canisters will also keep your water clearer

 

[geridoc]

Yeah, there are two schools of thought on filtration on this forum - canister and not-canister. Each side has its arguments for and against, but the right answer is that if you feed the proper amount of food, do your water changes regularly and police up waste then it probably doesn't matter which route you go. Whatever works for your set-up.

 

[vdtank]

Quote:
Originally Posted by MJTech12 http:///t/395526/newbie-needs-a-little-advice-on-55-gallon-fish-only-tank#post_3521582
Yeah Geridoc isn't a fan of using damsels they are Nasty when they get big he likes the fishless cycle that's good too to do its what you prefer, I myself used damsels then returned them I also run 2 canisters 1 fluval FX5 and 1 Rated for my 125 gallon tank and I can say without a doubt I have had no problems with filtration and Cleaning Them, Yes it takes time to clean them and you only rinse the inside filters one at a time so not to disturb the biological that growing in them, Like I said Preference everyone has their own, NOW I know wet drys are better but I have found over the years that Wet Drys give off a lot of Odor's and noises in the house I know this because my wife wanted to kill me so I use canisters again preference, Canisters will also keep your water clearer
This is the answer I was looking for when I upgrade my tank. My girl as well wouldn't want to deal with odor and all that noise Myself as well. Good to know. I would highly recommend as well as been mention to you before is add more live rock and take your time because if you rush it you likely just find dead fish's which there not cheap anyways.

 

[flower]

Hi,
Welcome to the site.

Why did you put Prime in the tank, and a butt load of it to boot? I'm happy to see you decided to see what others advise. There is some other starter junk called Cycle, but you still have to let the tank build up enough good bacteria, which means it still has to complete the cycle...both additives are a waste of money. There is just no rushing a SW tank safely. Toss in some pure ammonia, or a chunk of raw shrimp, and wait it out. Adding a live fish will slow down the cycle because you will have to do water changes to keep the fish alive as the tank cycles...slowing things down so the fish won't die. Prime is for an established tank that's in trouble, it will bind ammonia for 24 hours, giving you time to save your fish, and get things back on track...not for your first cycle.
What Prime does is bind everything up. You want the ammonia to go crazy, and then allow the next stage to go crazy, called nitrites...then when they are all gone the nitrates show on the tests...THEN the cycle is complete. You should be using RO (reverse osmosis) water, found at any grocery store (5g jugs are your friend)...most of us get out own unit. Never use tap water, your fish don't need fluoride treatments for their teeth, and you don't want stuff the city puts in the water in inhibit bacteria...you know...the stuff you are trying to cultivate. With RO water, there is no reason to de-chlorinate the water.
I used canister filters for over 30 years without a hitch. I have a sump system now, and yes it's loud...sounds like a running brook, which I love. It's also the easiest filtration I ever had. It means I can use a good skimmer, because HOB types just don't match the in tank ones. Hiding equipment is another super plus. The canister is indeed absolutely silent, and if quiet is what you want, then don't worry about it. Keep the media changed each month, but not all at one time so you don't destroy all the good bacteria on the media. Always rinse the bio beads in used saltwater when you do a water change, never freshwater.
You should also be setting up a quarantine tank, because if you should add a fish with ich...the display needs to remain 100% empty of fish for 8 solid weeks to kill off the parasite. The old saying of "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is very true when it comes to keeping a SW tank..